This invention is for use in plants manufacturing communication cables. The invention comprises a closed loop conveyor, preferably a floor conveyor to and from which bobbins can be rolled from the floor of the plant. The conveyor can be used for moving bobbins wrapped with individual wires, having various colors according to the desired color coding for the final cable, from an inventory storage rack to pairing machines.
At the pairing machines, the bobbins having individual wires thereon are placed on the pay-offs of pairing machines which take the individual wires and twist them into pairs having a desired angle of lay; and the twisted wires are wound on larger bobbins which are later conveyed to the pay-offs of a cabling machine.
The conveyor of this invention is provided with means for automatically loading empty bobbins from the cabling machine. The conveyor is manually loaded with empty bobbins from the pairing machine locations and automatically ejects these empty bobbins to a gravity conveyor by which they are returned to a part of the plant for reuse.
The closed loop conveyor is manually loaded with full pair bobbins and has means for ejecting these bobbins for accumulation at locations where they are moved by a crane or other means to paired bobbin storage racks from which any desired group of color coded pairs can be called for by the cabling machine.
The ejectors require a certain minimum space between successive bobbins. Time is saved and reliability is increased by not relying upon the manual loading to provide the necessary spacing between bobbins which are placed on the conveyor. A spacer is provided at a location between each conveyor loading station and the next ejector station.
The spacer automatically recognizes the size of the bobbin and automatically detects the necessity of increasing the spacing between bobbins, when there is such a necessity. This spacing is accomplished by simple and reliable means without stopping the conveyor and without removing the bobbin from the conveyor.
Electronic detecting means are used, such as photocells, for recognizing the size of the bobbins, the necessity for increasing the spacing and for controlling the mechanical elements that actually effect the increase in spacing.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.